The two villages in Kursk province have been liberated - RT reported, citing the Russian Ministry of Defense at a regular press conference on September 16.
Russian forces are pushing back Ukrainian troops in Kursk province in many directions - the Ministry of Defense added.
The Russian Defense Ministry report highlighted the liberation of two Russian settlements from Ukrainian troops. One of them, Uspenovka, is located 24km west of the town of Sudzha. Sudzha was the focus of Kiev's offensive. The remaining settlement, Borky, is 14km southeast of Sudzha.
The ministry also listed seven other villages where nearby Ukrainian units were said to have been defeated in the past 24 hours, including one just 11km south of Sudzha.
Kiev has sent thousands of troops across the northern border into Russia's Kursk region since August 6. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said the operation was part of a "victory plan" he plans to submit to the US government for consideration this month. US support is understood to be very important for Ukraine to implement its strategy.
According to the latest Russian estimate, the number of Ukrainian casualties in the Kursk operation has reached 13,800.
Last week, the Russian military announced the liberation of 10 settlements in Kursk. President Zelensky confirmed the Russian counterattack, saying that Ukraine had planned a suitable counterattack.
Earlier on September 16, the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) accused Kiev of considering staging a diversionist attack on a children's facility in its territory and blaming it on Russia.
The SVR said that accusing Russia of "inhumane Provocation" would help the Ukrainian government put pressure on the US and its allies to be allowed to use their weapons for long-range strikes deep inside Russia.
